Joy in New Orleans
I haven’t had a Super Bowl Team to root for since the Rams left Los Angeles without a team, but when my daughter moved to New Orleans I started rooting for her Saints. Their victory last night was exactly what the Big Easy needed. And for Drew Brees, watching his son try to catch the falling confetti, it felt just right.
Brees detailed how most of the Saints’ core group of free agents all arrived in 2006, how they talked about rebuilding a city and a team together, how they promised to lean on each other. Brees talked about how the Saints played for more than themselves, playing as well for New Orleans and the Gulf Coast region and the Who Dat nation of Saints fans.
As for that other aspect of the Super Bowl, the commercials, I nominate the Audi “Green Nation” ad as the worst (you don’t insult customers who want a green car and then try to sell them one) and the Doritos “House Rules” as the best ad.
Strong Recovery?
Here’s why I’m skeptical about the robust Recovery in the fourth quarter GDP. This chart is the Chicago Fed’s National Activity Index for personal consumption and housing. This does not look like a recovery. Now maybe there will be a sudden surge beyond the inventory restocking that made up over half of the GDP gain. And perhaps we could start becoming an export power with the cheap dollar.
But these are big maybes.






